Suspect in custody after allegedly ditching stolen truck near Kamloops

KAMLOOPS – A 31-year-old man is in custody in Kamloops after allegedly stealing a vehicle from the Lower Mainland and fleeing from police.

At approximately 8:45 a.m. today, May 9, officers received several reports an older model Chevy pick-up was driving on the Highway 5 near the Halston Connector, Kamloops RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jodi Shelkie says.

The truck had no licence plate and was driving erratically. At one point, the vehicle hit the median and two of its tires were flattened, Shelkie says.

The driver then pulled over on the highway near the Tournament Capital Ranch, just north of Kamloops, and according to a witness, grabbed a bicycle from the back of the pick-up and rode down a nearby road toward the river.

Police arrived and located the man, but when an officer tried to apprehend him, he jumped off his bike and ran away through the woods, Shelkie says.

Officers pursued him on foot and were able to arrest him without incident near the train tracks.

The man is originally from Stoney Creek, B.C. and was previously known to police. He's being held in custody to go before a judge, Shelkie says.

The pick-up was found to be stolen out of the Lower Mainland on May 6.

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